Community Acquired Spondylodiscitis caused by Escherichia Coli; Case Report and Literature Review

Vertebral osteomyelitis, or spondylodiscitis, is a rare disease with increasing prevalence in recent years due to a greater number of spinal surgical procedures, nosocomial bacteraemia, an aging population and intravenous drug addiction. Haematogenous infection is the most common cause of spondylodiscitis. We report a 47-year-old man diagnosed with Escherichia coli spondylodiscitis. The patient initially presented with a 4-day history of inflammatory, mechanical pain in the lower back suggesting sciatica. Treatment included NSAIDs and opioids. Two days after discharge from hospital following an admission due to an upper GI bleeding, the back pain intensified, precipitating a new attendance to the emergency department; during which lumbosacral radiography showed marked reduction of L2/L3 intervertebral space. After a new admission to the rheumatology unit due to worsening of symptoms and raised inflammatory markers, an expedited MRI showed loss of intervertebral disc space at L2/L3, with an irregular high intensity area at L2; suggesting a fluid collection extending to adjacent soft tissues. Fluoroscopy-guided core needle bone biopsies were reported positive for Escherichia coli sensitive to ceftriaxone. The patient was treated (received treatment) with a three week course of ceftriaxone following a formal diagnosis of E. coli spondylodiscitis. Follow-up MRI demonstrated complete recovery with the patient able to return (has returned) to normal activity. In this case we highlight the importance of correct and timely diagnosis of spondylodiscitis. Diagnosis of spondylodiscitis is often difficult, delayed or even missed due to the rarity of the disease but can lead to devastating consequences. Therefore a high index of suspicion is needed for prompt diagnosis to ensure improved long-term outcomes

Effect of Noninvasive Respiratory Strategies on Intubation or Mortality Among Patients With Acute Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure and COVID-19: The RECOVERY-RS Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and high-flow nasal oxygen (HFNO) have been recommended for acute hypoxemic respiratory failure in patients with COVID-19. Uncertainty exists regarding the effectiveness and safety of these noninvasive respiratory strategies. Objective To determine whether either CPAP or HFNO, compared with conventional oxygen therapy, improves clinical outcomes in hospitalized patients with COVID-19-related acute hypoxemic respiratory failure. Design, Setting, and Participants A parallel group, adaptive, randomized clinical trial of 1273 hospitalized adults with COVID-19-related acute hypoxemic respiratory failure. The trial was conducted between April 6, 2020, and May 3, 2021, across 48 acute care hospitals in the UK and Jersey. Final follow-up occurred on June 20, 2021. Interventions Adult patients were randomized to receive CPAP (n = 380), HFNO (n = 418), or conventional oxygen therapy (n = 475). Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was a composite of tracheal intubation or mortality within 30 days. Results The trial was stopped prematurely due to declining COVID-19 case numbers in the UK and the end of the funded recruitment period. Of the 1273 randomized patients (mean age, 57.4 [95% CI, 56.7 to 58.1] years; 66% male; 65% White race), primary outcome data were available for 1260. Crossover between interventions occurred in 17.1% of participants (15.3% in the CPAP group, 11.5% in the HFNO group, and 23.6% in the conventional oxygen therapy group). The requirement for tracheal intubation or mortality within 30 days was significantly lower with CPAP (36.3%; 137 of 377 participants) vs conventional oxygen therapy (44.4%; 158 of 356 participants) (absolute difference, -8% [95% CI, -15% to -1%], P = .03), but was not significantly different with HFNO (44.3%; 184 of 415 participants) vs conventional oxygen therapy (45.1%; 166 of 368 participants) (absolute difference, -1% [95% CI, -8% to 6%], P = .83). Adverse events occurred in 34.2% (130/380) of participants in the CPAP group, 20.6% (86/418) in the HFNO group, and 13.9% (66/475) in the conventional oxygen therapy group. Conclusions and Relevance Among patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure due to COVID-19, an initial strategy of CPAP significantly reduced the risk of tracheal intubation or mortality compared with conventional oxygen therapy, but there was no significant difference between an initial strategy of HFNO compared with conventional oxygen therapy. The study may have been underpowered for the comparison of HFNO vs conventional oxygen therapy, and early study termination and crossover among the groups should be considered when interpreting the findings. Trial Registration isrctn.org Identifier: ISRCTN16912075